HJ766: Celebrating the life of Lucille Minchin Zaleski.
WHEREAS, Lucille Minchin Zaleski, the longest-serving educator in Norfolk Public Schools, died on January 10, 2021; and
WHEREAS, Lucille “Lucy” Minchin Zaleski grew up in Buffalo, New York, and joined Norfolk Public Schools in 1968 after she graduated from The College of William and Mary; and
WHEREAS, Lucy Zaleski began her career as a sixth-grade teacher at Sherwood Forest Elementary School and, after more than 50 years of service, she became the longest-tenured employee of Norfolk Public Schools; and
WHEREAS, Lucy Zaleski has most recently worked as a transitional specialist at Madison Alternative School, where she helped students overcome behavioral problems and learning challenges; and
WHEREAS, Lucy Zaleski treated every student in her care as an individual and often put in extra hours to provide private tutoring and encourage parental involvement in education, earning the trust and respect of generations of young people and their families; and
WHEREAS, Lucy Zaleski led by example, taking an active leadership role in all of her professional pursuits, and she was a dedicated mentor and friend to many of her fellow educators in Norfolk Public Schools; and
WHEREAS, Lucy Zaleksi’s commitment to excellence and genuine care for students was unparalleled and, among many accolades over the course of her distinguished career, she was selected as the Virginia Teacher of the Year for Region II in 1993; and
WHEREAS, predeceased by one son, Paul, Lucy Zaleski will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by her husband, Allan; her children, Stephanie, Chris, and Tiffany, and their families; and numerous other family members, friends, and colleagues; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Lucille Minchin Zaleski, a devoted educator who touched countless lives in the Norfolk community; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Lucille Minchin Zaleski as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for her memory.